Parachuting: modifiers for LALO and HALO jumps?

[Ragitsu]

I'd see it as keeping the one skill, but adding Techniques to represent specialized training.

[Humabout]

You know I was just thinking that skydiving in general might make a good modern "martial art style" similar to bajutsu. One might write it up thus:

Skydiving
4 points

This is the art of combat insertion via freefall from an airplane. It is also practiced for entertainment in noncombat environments by civilians and as an emergency escape method by pilots.

Skydiving typically involves jumping from an aircraft in flight, freefalling for a brief time, and then releasing a parachute that the jumper then guides to the ground. Jumps are made at a variety of altitudes from any number of types of airfract including helicopters, balloons, jets, and prop airplanes and may involve rectangular air-ram canopies or round canopies.

While not as common in military schools, civilian entheusists often practice a variety of aerobatic maneuvers while in freefall and may learn advanced parachute flying techniques such as low altitude turns called Hook Turns or landing while facing backwards in the harness (Blind Man).

Skydiving also covers all safety and maintenance aspects of a jump and all relavent local laws concerning the practice.

Skills: Aerobatics*; Parachuting; Pilot (Glider)
Techniques: Breakfall (Parachuting); Parachute Packing; Tracking (Aerobatics)
Perks:

Advantages: Acute Vision; Daredevil
Disadvantages: Chummy; On the Edge; Overconfident
Skills: Navigation (Air); Meteorology
Techniques: Blind Man (Pilot (Glider)); HALO (Aerobatics); Head Down (Aerobatics); Hook-Turn (Pilot (Glider); Sitfly (Aerobatics); Stand (Aerobatics)

* I chose Aerobatics over Freefall because while Freefall covers "zero-G" environments, in skydiving, you are very much in a 1G environment with a LOT of airflow over your body (which is what you use to maneuver). It seems like Aerobatics would be a better fit, since you're essentially flying straight down really fast. I'm open to other arguments, though.

Also, I'm not sure what perks might be useful here. I'll go hunting through some books later and sort this out.

[ed_209a]

After looking at Basic, High-tech, and Special Ops (2e, sorry, don't have 3e), I would break up the various parachuting styles as follows:

A Parachuting roll covers exiting a plane in a controlled manner, and landing on fairly open and level terrain.

LALO is the same as regular parachuting, but there is always a roll for landing, and critical failures are always dire. (no time for a reserve chute.)

HALO is treated like regular parachuting, plus an acrobatics(aerobatics) roll after the initial Parachuting roll.

HAHO is like regular Parachuting, but with one or several Pilot(glider) rolls after the initial Parachuting roll.

Landing on rough ground calls for a second parachuting roll in all of these styles.

[Ragitsu]

How about parachuting towards a moving target?

[ed_209a]

Originally Posted by Ragitsu

How about parachuting towards a moving target?

Like maybe a HALO jump ending in up your Union Jack Shaguar? ;)

Just like anything else, add in size and speed from the S/R table.

[Humabout]

Originally Posted by ed_209a

Like maybe a HALO jump ending in up your Union Jack Shaguar? ;)

Just like anything else, add in size and speed from the S/R table.

You should also consider that any turn below 100 feet has a high likelihood of resulting in you hitting the ground at 20+ mph (possibly much much faster, depending on the maneuver you're taking; this usually results in crazy injuries, paralysis, or death). So if your target is taking evasive maneuvers, you're probably screwed.

[ed_209a]

Originally Posted by Humabout

You should also consider that any turn below 100 feet has a high likelihood of resulting in you hitting the ground at 20+ mph

So, does an additional -2 or -4 to the landing roll sound right?

[Crakkerjakk]

I was at one of those Redbull Flugtags and a trick parachutist did a loop (like, upside down, I didn't even know you could do that with a parachute) right before landing on a 20 x 20 foot platform floating on the river. Amazing.

IIRC supposedly the Saudis have some kick-ass parachutists. Supposedly like to parachute onto the backs of moving horses at exhibitions.

[Icelander]

What skill level in Parachuting and the HALO/HAHO technique does an operator need to be considered qualified?

Is skill 15 in Parachuting and a default skill 10 in HALO/HAHO technique enough to be considered qualified to be a part of a supposedly HALO/HAHO capable unit?

This would assume that operational use gets +2 for high-quality gear and that a narrow margin of failure on the HAHO check does not mean immediate death, but rather a jump that went off course, forced him to deploy a reserve parachute, resulted in an imperfect landing that caused injury or otherwise a failure that might compromise the mission (or at least make it much more difficult).

Or should a qualified HALO/HAHO operator have no less than skill score 12 in his HALO/HAHO technique?

Does he perhaps need skill score 14 in it?

I'm specifically considering a team member in the HALO/HAHO-qualified ODA 746/7216 of A Co/2 Bn/7th SFG(A) between 2000-2011.

His deployments were mostly to Afghanistan and Colombia, in that period, with perhaps one to Iraq.* In Afghanistan, he mostly did Village Stability Operations (VSO) and FID missions like training ANCOP or the ANA. In Colombia he participated in training the Colombian Brigada Contra el Narcotráfico (BRCNA) and probably other forces, as part of Plan Colombia.

How often would he practise his Parachuting skill and HALO/HAHO technique after the initial course in 2000, when he was qualified?

And finally, how much would Parachuting and the HALO/HAHO technique deteriorate if they were not used at all for seven years?

*Depending on which company and battalion in the 7th SFG my research informs me provided support to El Salvadoran troops in Iraq.

[dcarson]

Not sure of the exact levels I'd require but if the unit is supposed to qualified in HAHO/HALO operations I'd expect at least one level in the Technique to represent the qualification.